Deputies Need Help Catching Purse Snatching Suspect

(WVLT) - Ladies...it could happen to you. You're grocery shopping and your purse is stolen right out from under your arm. That happened to a Powell woman, and it left bad bruises on her arm and hip and a dislocated shoulder. The victim didn't want to go on camera, but her husband did. He says people in his community need to know what could happen, and what you should do if it happens to you.

Lillard Frazier says this man not only left the Food City in Powell with his wife's purse...

"He pulled her down and knocked displays down, bloodied her nose and bruised her hip," Lillard says.

But surveillance cameras show the suspect entering the store, fleeing the store and driving away in a truck.

"He came up from behind her, I don't think she realized he was there, until he started grabbing her purse, and her first reaction was to hold on to it, and in the process of that she got injured even worse," Lt. Mike Grissom says.

Lillard says his 72 year old wife is feeling less sore today, but she's still a bit shaken up.

"She says she's not going back there but she probably will because I'll be with her," he continues.

He wishes he would have gone grocery shopping with her this time.

"You don't expect stuff like this to happen to you, just like she said, she didn't expect it to happen to her," he continues.

Unfortunately, it did. Deputies say Mary did the right thing by having the purse around her arm.

"It goes back to the old thing, you kinda want to look around and see who's around you, be aware of your surroundings that can be inside or outside the store," Lt. Grissom says.

And the Frazier's want people in their quiet community to know it can happen to anyone, anywhere.

"These people strike where they think it's easiest and best for them, and they know what they're doing," Lillard says.

And even though the suspect did get away with her purse...

"We do forgive the man and pray for him, but we do want him to stop what he's doing," Lillard says.

Deputies are asking for your help...

The suspect is a white male, 40's 5'10-6' short brown hair, 240-250 pounds, cut off t-shirt with writing, possibly an American flag.

The truck is a 90's model Chevy truck, blue with an extended cab, custom wheels, a chrome tool box, chrome step rails, possibly an orange extension cord in the bed of the truck, a bug deflector on the front and a trailer hitch on the rear.

If you have any information call the Knox County Sheriffs Office at 215-2243.

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by Anonymous
on Jul 13, 2007 at 10:02 AM

Apparently Food City is not taking this very seriously. When my 86 year old aunt called the manager at Food City to ask if the store was considering hiring a security guard the manager replied that he had no idea what she was talking about and asked her to explain what incident she was referring to.

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